The Mount Valor Story
The name Mount Valor reflects our vision of Christian formation and faithful leadership. Throughout Scripture, mountains are places where God meets His people, shapes their character, and prepares them for faithful service. Mount speaks to steady formation in truth; valor names the courageous obedience that flows from conviction rooted in God’s Word.
The lion, drawn from Scripture’s image of Christ as the Lion of the tribe of Judah, represents courage under authority, strength exercised with humility and faithfulness under the lordship of Christ.
Crimson reminds us that grace comes first, secured through the sacrifice of Christ. Gold points us to lives lived under His sovereign reign.
At Mount Valor University, we begin with grace. From that grace, students are formed to live and lead with courage, for the glory of God and the good of His world.
Why Mount Valor Was Founded
Mount Valor University was founded on the conviction that higher education should prepare people for more than graduation. We believed education should intentionally connect academic learning with Christian formation, practical experience, and the relationships that shape people for life and work. We also believed not every student needs the same educational pathway, but every student deserves the opportunity to discover and develop their God-given gifts, grow through Christian formation, and prepare for lives of purpose, service, and leadership. The road there looks different for each person.
Those convictions gave rise to Mount Valor. By intentionally integrating Christian formation, vocational preparation, and community into a single educational experience, we’re building a university where education happens through relationships, responsibility, and real-world experience. Mount Valor helps students graduate with less debt, more experience, and greater confidence about their future.
Our Mission
Mount Valor University exists to form courageous Christians who think biblically, serve with conviction, lead with integrity, and flourish in meaningful work for the glory of God and the good of His world.
Our Vision
Our Philosophy of Education
We believe education is fundamentally an act of worship. People are more than students or workers. They are image-bearers created to live coram Deo, before the face of God.
While the world continues to change, the truth of God’s Word does not. Faithful Christian education must remain rooted in timeless truth while preparing students to serve faithfully in a changing world.
True education engages the whole person, shaping mind, heart, and hand through truth, grace, discipline, and community. Biblical truth grounds all learning while character and competence are intentionally developed together.
We believe God forms people through relationships, responsibilities, worship, and service. Rather than separating students from those formative experiences, we intentionally build education around them.
Leadership
Dr. Jessica Minor serves as the Founding President and CEO of Mount Valor University. A proven institution-builder and higher education leader, she brings fifteen years of experience launching academic programs, leading accreditation initiatives, building strategic partnerships, and guiding transformational growth within Christian higher education.
Before founding Mount Valor, Dr. Minor served as Founding Dean of the School of Health Professions at Bob Jones University, where she unified multiple academic programs into a thriving school serving more than 500 students, led several accreditation efforts, and oversaw approximately $8 million in phased facility renovations and expansion projects.
Today, Dr. Minor is leading the development of Mount Valor University, helping build a new model of higher education that integrates Christian formation, meaningful work, and community.
Lisa J. Dunwoody (Board Chair)
Randy Page (Board Secretary)
Keith DeFreitas (Board Treasurer)
Pastor Stephen Cox (Trustee)
Stephen has served in pastoral ministry for nearly twenty-five years and currently serves as Senior Pastor of Bible Baptist Church in Simpsonville, South Carolina. Passionate about biblical teaching and discipleship, he helps strengthen Mount Valor’s commitment to Christian formation and partnerships with local churches.
Bradley Shepard (Trustee)
Bradley serves as Vice President of Technology Transformation Delivery at Ryan Specialty, where he leads strategic partnerships and enterprise technology initiatives. With expertise in artificial intelligence, automation, and workforce innovation, he helps connect Mount Valor’s educational model with the evolving needs of today’s workforce and the future of work.